THE PREMIER’S ABSENCE.
OPPOSED BY LABOR PARTY. POLICY OF PEACE URGED. ADHERENCE TO LEAGUE OF NATIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) gave notice of his intention to move the following amendment to the Address-in-however, feel it to be our duty to submit your Excellency:— “1. That, in view of the serious economic situation now developing in New Zealand, which renders it inadvisable that Parliament should go into a lengthy recess, and also in view of the complete absence of any detailed reasons for holding the Imperial Conference, and failing proper provision for the democratic election of a representative by the whole of the people of New Zealand, the Dominion’s representative at the Imperial Conference should be the High Commissioner for New Zealand, who should be definitely instructed by the New Zealand Parliament, but with no power to commit the Dominion to any line of policy, nor to accept responsibility on behalf of the Dominion for Imperial acts, declarations of war, etc., until all such matters ©hall have received the sanction of both the people and Parliament.
“2. That the New Zealand delegate should be instructed to give loyal adherence at the Conference to the principles laid down in the covenant of the League of Nations (of which League New Zealand is part), clause 8 of which reads: ‘The members of the League recognise that the maintenance of peace requires a reduction of national armaments.’ The delegate should be instructed to resist every movement in the direction of increased armaments, to oppose every suggestion making for the precipitation of war with America or any other country, and on every occasion urge the linking up of the peoples of all countries in a commonwealth of industry and peace. “3. That the delegate to the Imperial Conference should declare and vote against all diplomatic secrecy, and that he should strenuously advocate that in all treaties between Great Britain and foreign Powers, and all arrangements between the Dominion© and Greste Britain, the basis shall not be for naval and military purposes, but for the purpose of social, political, and economic amenities. The present treaty between England and Japan being merely a military treaty, and both countries being members of the League of Nations, no renewal of the treaty is required, inasmuch as article 20 of the covenant of the League says: ‘The members of the League severally agree that this covenant is accepted as abrogating all obligations or undertakings inter se which are inconsistent with the terms thereof, and solemnly undertake that they not hereafter enter into any engagements inconsistent with the terms thereof.’
“4. That the New Zealand delegate te the Imperial Conference should resolutely advocate granting to the people of Ireland, India, and Egypt that full measure of self-determination, to gain which for all small nationalities the statesmen of Britain declared the recent world war was fought. ?‘5. Finally we feel it to be our duty to represent to your Excellency our strong disapproval of the action of your Excellency’s Government in appointing to the position of acring-Prime* Minister an honorable gentleman who is not a member of the House of Representatives.” .
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Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 5
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537THE PREMIER’S ABSENCE. Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 5
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